I don't understand this guy. In the introduction he's like, "fah, most people will probably stop reading here and call me loser, elitist, etc." Except that by saying that, he's already being elitist. And THEN later on before the Maps section he drops the "Valve should stop catering to casual players and focus on competitive play" bomb. It's like, okay I get it, you think you're pro.

But anyways, the content of the paper is what's important I guess. But just read the first paragraph out of the Maps section: really? CTF "doesn't work," one reason being engine restrains? This kid didn't really think this through.

He also claims the pyro has "little-to-no specific class skills or techniques" needed to play it.

This is like a steampowered post formatted to 18 pages: I'm not buying it.

edit: OMG read the conclusion, it's hilarious. He gets defensive about league-play, hints at his ability to be a game developer with no training, and suggests he's superior to the "masses" on the steam forums. Wow.

Actually, no I didn't read this. I decided to pick this up and read it.

He's right about plenty of things, some things do have a real anti-genericism and mean play, but it's not completely bad. His points on the pyro class are from a viewpoint of NEVER PLAYING THE CLASS COMPETITIVELY, so I can give him points there for not being pure competitive.

Funny thing is the article is still too dated. Many of his suggestions have been implemented. Although I don't still understand the whole sandman debate in comp (COME ON, Run a good pyro protecting the ubers and medics and stuff and it's 100% useless! Idiots.), I do understand plenty of it, and I am so glad he has mature views on most of the weapons.

Of course, some of his suggestions sound CRAZY, like higher grenade damage. Come on, 2-3 nades kill anything! And his engi plans would not work out. Imagine the effects in a pub with that. Oh, and his pyro flamethrower idea was just foolish. Flames exploding and doing damage to a guy in a flame-retardant suit?

Otherwise, it's actually very managable. I've played with Chro before, and he just ran around with ambassador out shooting people.

Oh, and now I remember why I don't visit the TF2F forums. They are JUST LIKE THE DAMNED STEAM FORUMS. Smug little bastards that feel like the game should be catered in strange ways to their fantasies. But enough talk about that.

To be honest, both are cesspools of their own feces. It's just the content of the feces that differs. From an outsider looking in, the quality of the messages posted on both Steam Forums and TF2F forums are both about the same shitty quality that displays an inhibited knowledge of the complex flow outside of their worlds.

For instance, do competitive teams realise a good pyro can nullify the effects of sandman? It's not a hard projectile to reflect. But by most leagues banning sandman, it reduced a potential for spreading the class balance out and having a pyro run staple for nullification purposes. Who knows?

Of course, Steam Forums, after reading some, don't notice it is written from primarially a competitive point of view. Calling CTF dead total is a downright piece of bullshit, but saying CTF is dead in competitive leagues is more accurate.

Meh, if I am rambling incoherently, I'm tired and I'm getting to sleep after this message. Those are my 2 cents.

tl;dr. TF2F and Steam Forums are basically both cesspools of filth convinced they are right. Just like everyone else. It just comes down to whoever is yelling the loudest I guess. Oh, and I'm really tired. If you want to pursue this, send me a PM. I'll be glad to pick it up there.

its basically my take on the TF2 system and what valve has done wrong and right.

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To presume to know what Valve has actually intended at any specific point is just.. egotistical. It's like he's taken a bunch of bad experiences and made a huge rant on them, and then made some points on his good experiences to justify it as a "discussion".

He discusses class identity and class ability without discussing the environment, nullifying his point in the broader picture of the "game" mechanics. Game mechanics functions as just that, the whole game. Everything effects everything in play, and he appears to have catogarised his essay in the same way he discusses how Valve's catogorisation of class role was unjust and naive. Which i found rather amusingly ironic.

Valve and gameplay testing.

He seems to have completely missed the point of Valves take on open beta testing. The quickest way to get a reliable feedback over the function of any change braught about by the inclusion of new oppotunies (weapons/tools) is by having a larger test sample. Items are tested minorly, released, and subsequently updated with any required balancing to get the weapon to scratch before it might have even been released in the past. Lets not forget that TF2 is not the only game Valve works on.

The extra jump while nice plays little use in combat.

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He's obviously never played scout much/properly. I'm not even a good scout but being able to double jump to avoid being shot has kept me alive.. more than i care to hesitate a guess. The extra jump is invaluble, especially against good soldiers.

Shovel: I believe this is the least used melee weapon

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Again, i'm not sure whether he's played soldier at all but i utilise the soldier's melee just as much as i would as engineer who has it out most of the time. Other than sniper, the soldiers melee is an incredibly valuble weapon. It doesn't take much to run out of ammo for soldier when the heat is pressed.

All of this "discussion" seems completely based on a limited experience of unfortunate circumstances. He was right about the Heavy but the heavy has always been like this. One can only hope that other class unlocks will support the Heavy's existance.

He's expecting a perfect system in a game that's technically still under development.

He's obviously never played scout much/properly. I'm not even a good scout but being able to double jump to avoid being shot has kept me alive.. more than i care to hesitate a guess. The extra jump is invaluble, especially against good soldiers.

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if you've ever watched any high level competitive scouts play, they very rarely double jump in combat, and they are one of the biggest influences in the game.

Now, don't get me wrong, I always use my double jump in (and out of) combat, and I disagree with not using it. I'm just pointing out how the best scouts do it, and still manage to kill all the important enemies.

Putting Mar and Chro in the same category is like saying an ant is as big as an elephant... (no offense mar)

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None Taken. Just look at how much we play this game. (Idling doesn't count)

Also, to the rest of you guys. You seem to be more close minded then I am. Instead of engaging in reasonable, logical debate you continually dismiss me becuase of my views and becuase I play this game competitively for fun.

To quote Cornel West "Just becuase two people's opinion are different doesn't mean they should disrespect each other."

if you've ever watched any high level competitive scouts play, they very rarely double jump in combat.

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We're not talking about competative play. You get different circumstances arise in competative play as apposed to public play. So telling people a particular ability is redundant based on whether competitive players utilise it is flawed. Besides the fact that the majority player base isn't 'competitive'.

I've seen very skilled scouts dominate whole teams simply by flying about like a blind bat. Whilst other scout just running around get bounce-shotted. If you're going to jump once to avoid a shot you might as well double-jump to avoid the next. Jumping makes your movement more predictable, double jumping reduces that predictability.